Antiglare attachment for headlights



Dec. 6, 1927. 1,652,015

0. A. KING ANTIGLARE ATTACHMENT FOR HEADLIGHTS Filed Feb. 10, 1927 anuenfoz Patented Dec. 6, 1927.

UNITED STATES ORAL A. KING, OF SOUTH NORFOLK, VIRGINIA.

ANTIGLABE ATTACHMENT FOR HEADLIGHTS.

Application-filed February 10, 1927. Serial No. 167,241.

This invention relates to an anti-glare attachment for headlights having novel and distinguishing features of construction, and

- the main objectof the invention is to provide an attachment that may be readily applied to the upper portion of the usual l1eadlight incandescent bulb to eliminate the projection of intense or glare rays of light, and so relatively associate the bulb and reflector that the light rays will be projected mainly from the lower part of the headlight in a downward direction to the roadway for guidance of the driver of the machine, with obvious advantages to a driver of an approaching machine or to pedestrians by overcoming any confusion in either case and with consequent safety to approaching machines and also to pedestrians.

A further object of the invention is to provide as a part of the anti-glare attachment a very unique colored light appearance above the lower projected rays of light, by casting an illumination of a rainbow or other color efl'ect from the upper part or half of the reflector as a means, not only of an attractive and distinguishing nature but also operating to diminish the volume of projected light rays from the upper part of the headlight.

A further object of the invention is to enerally improve anti-glare attachments for lieadlights and also to combine therewith means having an attractive appearance that will cooperate to render the attachment generally efiective as a part of the headlight organization.

With these and other objects and advantages, as will hereinafter appear, the invention consists in the construction and arrangement of the several parts which will be more fully hereinafter described and claimed.

In the drawing Fig. 1 is a verticalsection through a headlight of ordinary form embodying the usual incandescent electric light bulb and having the improved anti-glare attachment applied thereto.

Fig. 2 is a side elevation of an incandes- .centelectric. light bulb on a slightly enlarged scale showing the anti-glare attachment applied thereto.

Fig. 3 is a top plan.view of the parts as shown by Fig. 2.

Fig. 4 is a front end elevation of, the same.

- engaging member 16 to fit over a portion of Fig. 5 is an enlarged transverse vertical section through the improved attachment on the same scale as Figs. 2 to 4.

Fig. 6 is a side elevation of a part of the improved attachment.

Fig. 7 is an enlarged view in detail of a yielding retention device embodied in the improved structure. The numeral 5 designates a headlight casmg having a front ring 5 holding the front glass or lens 6 in advance of the ordinary parabolic reflector 7 which has centrally located therein an incandescent electric light bulb 8 separably connected as usual to a socket 9 extending through the center of the reflector and the casing 5. The structure of the headlight is immaterial so far as the features of the invention are concerned except 1n that an incandescent light be embodled therein, and the invention contemplates more particularly an attachment for an incandescent or similar light, and does not in 1ts application require the least modification of the structure or contour of an ordi nary headlight when used with the latter except in its control as to the prevention of PIO18Ct6d glaring rays of light.

The improved attachment comprises essentially two parts, respectively, consisting of an opaque or metal band 10 which is applied over the upper portion of the electric light, and a transparent colored glass or light diffuser 11. This colored glass or light diffuser 11 may be of any thickness and varicoloredas desired to produce the effect sought. The shield 10 may be formed of aluminum or other suitable light weight material, and has at one side and extending part way across the front a drop 12 terminatin in an angular shoulder 13 from the maximum dependence of which the front edge of 5' the said shield curves upwardly to the rear side limit of the shield, .as at 14, the opposite side edge portion 15 of the shield being horizontally straight. The shield 10 has a general concavo-convex or substantially pearshaped contour, or conforms to the contour of the upper portion of an incandescent electric light bulb. The rear terminal of the shield 10 is reduced and formed with a neck the rear neck 8 of the light or bulb 8. Over the neck 8" a rubber band or adhesive tape covering 17 extendsaround the same. The

neck 16 rests directly against the band 17, the latter, by its anti-slipping character, operating to prevent shifting or turning of the neck 16 and displacement of the shield when the said neck 16 is assembled with relation to the neck 8 of the light or bulb 8, as clearly shown by Figures 2 and 3. The neck 16 also has a plurality of openings 18 formed therein for further effecting an adhering or anti-slipping application thereof to the neck 8 of the light or bulb 8, and at the center of the top of the neck 16 is a bendable guard 19, which is adapted to bear against the reill] fiector, or adjacent a support for the electric lamp, as shown for instance by Figure 1. The opposite lower ends of the neck 16 are formed with upturned lips or catches 20 engaged by the opposite terminals 21 of a coil spring 22 which tightly and frictionally bears a ainst the portion of the neck 8 or the rubller band or analogous device 17 below the neck 16 of the shell, and serves as an additional means for ositively holding the shell in place on the e ectric light bulb with sufficient resistance to overcome displacement by vibratory motions of the headlight. The shell 10 is also formed at regular intervals transversely extending slots 23 which pro vide light emitting means, and at the center of the top thereof is a slot or opening 24 for the reception of a fastening device.

The colored lass 11 of concave-convex form, as hereto ore specified, operates as a transparent diffuser or cap which is of the same arcuate contour as the shield 10 and does not project at its opposite side edges below the side edges of said shield, and also extends longitudinally, closely over and in contact with the shield 10 far enough in opposite directions to cover the slots 23, as shown by Figs. 2 and 3. In the center of this transparent cap is a vertical opening 25 adapted to rest over the opening or slot 24 of the shield, the opening 25 communicating -W1tl1 the base of a top recess 26 in the cap 11. The recess 26 is of angular form, or preferably square, and therein a bowed or arched spring plate 27 is fitted and has a central slot 28 and outwardly projecting corner holding legs 29 fitted in the corner portions of the recess 26. After the cap 11 has been applied to the shield 10, a headed fastening 30, having bendable legs 31, is associated with the shield 10 and the said cap 11, said legs being inserted through the slot 28 of the bowed or arched s ring plate 27 and the opening 25, thence tirough the recess 26 below the said opening 28, and throu h the opening 24, the ends of the legs being hent over in opposite directions against the inner side of the cap 10, and secured, as shown by Figure 5. Throu h the medium of the fastening 30 the ca 11 is held against shiftin movement on tie shield 10, and thro gli the retention of the said shield the In the operation of the improved attachment, the light from the bulb 8 is caused to pass through the slots 23 of the shield 10 in an upward direction and also pass through the transparent diffuser or cap 11 and thence to the reflector 7 and by the latter projected forwardly through the glass or lens 6 in the usual manner. The slots 23 form the light projected upwardly therethrough from the bulb 8 in the shape of light walls or separate partitions of light that strike the reflector and in this condition are projected forwardly, thereby producing a diffused colored light, or it the diffuser or cap 11 is of varicolor transparent material, a rainbow like effect may be produced, or, the projection of the colored diffused rays of light will depend on the color of the diffuser or cap. The color of the diffuser or cap 11 may be modified at will and in some instances a number of diffusers or caps of different colors or combination of colors may he used and one substituted for the other with a very pleasing effect, and at the same time operate to obstruct the formation of any glare rays in the upper part of the headlight. The front drop 12 of the shield 10 extends downwardly far enough to cover the front portion of the filament of the bulb 8, and the gradual inclination of said drop in a rearward direction also provides for the formation of a side shield which will prevent lateral rays of light from the bulb to the reflector and thereby cause the projected light rays to be confined to the lower portion of the headlight and projected in a downward direction and thus further add to the means for preventing the formation of projected glare rays at the upper portion of the headlight. The bendable tongue 19 will be used in properly setting the shield 10 relatively to the upper portion of the bulb 8 and in tinevent that the said shield is too high or has a tendency to flare upwardly so as to be irregularly disposed relatively to the bulb S, the tongue 19 may be bent and caused to contact with the adjacent reflector 7, and thereby prevent the shield from having a tilted .or irregular disposition relatively to the bulb 8. The bowed or arched spring plate 7 will set up a yielding action between the shield 10 and the transparent or glass diffuser or cap 11, and at the same time the two parts will be held in proper relation, one with relation to the other.

The advantage of forming the slots 23 in the shield 10 in the manner heretofore specified, is that there is metal or opaque material partitions between the several slots to prevent a downward illumination to the lower half of the reflector, and by this means -a clearer light is obtained and projected from the lower half of the reflector. In other lllll be understood that it may be used with a bulb irrespective of the mounting of the latter in a headlight or in connection with any other device.

What is claimed as new is y 1. The combination with a headlight having a reflector, of an incandescent electric light bulb and socket disposed centrally with relation to said reflector, a shield mounted over the upper portion of the bulb and hav-' in a rear neck fitted over the neck of the bu b and also provided with a series of transi versely extending slots separated by th opaque material of the shield, a colored transparent light diffuser applied over the shield and slots in the latter, and means in part of a resilient nature attached to the neck of a shield and engaging the neck of the bulb and also a portion of the reflector to hold the shield in place.

2. Thecombination with an incandescent electric light bulb, of an opaque shield held in fixed positioniover the upper portion of the bulband .formed with a series of transverse slots separated by the opaque material of theshield, the said, shield also having'an opening theretlirougli at the center of the top' thereof, a colored transparent difiuser mounted over the slotted portion of the shield and having a recess in the center of the top thereof and also a central openin over the opening of the shield, a bowed 'yiel ing member inserted in said recess and also meansbeing headed and having the legs thereof bent in opposite directions against the inner surface of the shield.

3. The combination with an incandescent electric light bulb, of an opaque shield fitted over the top and upper portions of the sides of the said bulb and having transversely extending light emitting slot-s formed therein in advance and in rear of the transverse center of said shield, the shield also having a front pendant portion which extends over the front of the filament and also an 'up-, wardly and rearwardly inclined portion atone side continuing rearwardly. from the front pendant portion, and a colored transparent diffuser fitted over the slotted portion ofthe shield and also over portions of the sides thereof and extending'beyond the opposite terminals of the slpts in the shield.

4. The combination with an incandescent clectriclight bulb and a socket therefor, an

vopaque shield mounted over the top and portions of the sides of the bulb and transversely slotted, the slots being separated by distinct solid portions of the shield and located on opposite sides of the transverse center of the shield, the shield also having a rear upwardly extending bendable guard, a

colored transparent light difluserfitted over the slotted portions of the shield, and a headlight having a' reflector with which the said guard engages adjacent to the location of the light bulb and above the shield.

5. The combination with an incandescent electric light bulb, of an opaque shield fitted over the top and part of the sides of the bulb and having a plurality of narrow slots extending transversely across the same on opposite sides of its transverse center which is closed,'to produce a plurality of upwardly projecting narrow beams of light, and a colored transparent diffuser fitted over portions of the top and sides of the shield and closing the said slots in the shield.

In testimony whereof I have hereunto set my hand. 

